This past year, our Section had the unique opportunity to support the research from more than 57 different Labs &Sections within NIMH, NINDS and NICHD. During the past twelve months, investigators from these labs and branches requested 513 formal projects from our staff. Each of these requests was documented and the time recorded to complete the job. In addition to the formal requests we are available daily for numerous walk-in, phone call or e-mail requests for assistance. In general, our technical support this past year can be divided into the following research areas: Electrophysiology The Section on Instrumentation staff continuously strives to improve the utility of various components that comprise electrophysiology. Improvements continue for the goal of stabilizing the microelectrode manipulators to enhance precision and repeatability of electrode placement. We also provide engineering and fabrication of multiple-hole grid arrays that allow precise, repeatable placement of a single electrode over a wide area. Extensive experience of our staff allows us to quickly outfit newly arriving scientists with the tools needed to perform their research in the field of electrophysiology. We stock or can quickly fabricate a large variety of custom electrophysiology hardware, and have a diverse knowledge of commercially available systems. It is not unusual for new arriving scientists to be performing experiments in several weeks or less. This short time frame is important to maximize the productive time of researchers who may only be at the NIH for a limited time. fMRI The Section on Instrumentation provides a wide range of support for fMRI-related research. Fabrication of devices for use in MRI environments is a specialized area of expertise, with great attention given to design without ferrous metals and minimization of all metal components. In addition, commercial industrial fiber optic components and systems are evaluated and integrated into many designs and devices we fabricate. This past year we provided extensive support for the human, primate and rodent magnet imaging facilities. Non-Human Primate Our group is responsible for providing a wide range of engineering and fabrication services to support non-human primate research. Many of the mechanical assemblies that are necessary for this type of research are engineered and fabricated in-house. Our group provides a diverse array of custom systems and components to many different investigators, such as custom primate chairs, high-strength restraints, MRI positioning systems, custom head coils, reward systems, data acquisition, analysis and optical response systems, plus a wide range of small mechanical components. We have become experts in many different types of force and load cells and the integration of these into working research tools. An example of a project that presented unique problems was modifying a pair of electrostatic headphones to deliver stimuli for use inside the bore of an MRI. Human Human research requires the creation of many novel devices that are compatible with the high magnetic field environment. When a new magnet is installed, we are consulted with and provide the necessary components for presenting visual stimuli in the bore of the magnet, including image periscopes, screens, and mirrors. These devices are designed and manufactured with specific space and material constraints. This past year we continued development of a novel MRI-based gustatory apparatus to investigate the areas of the brain using fMRI that respond to gustatory stimuli. We performed developmental testing on an fMRI compatible, computer controlled system that delivers small specified volumes of a variety of tastants onto a patient's tongue while the subject is being scanned in the MRI. This past year we continued fabrication and development an fMRI compatible, computer controlled, eight channel linear air driven actuator system that provides selectable site, tactile stimulation to a subject who is undergoing an MRI. This important research tool will aid investigators in understanding the brain's processing of tactile stimulation particularly in studies of "phantom limb pain". The design has also now been implemented for tactile facial studies in the NIH, MEG imaging facility. Due to the substantial work load imposed on Section Staff, many projects must be designed, fabricated, and delivered quickly. We provided several wrist movement measuring systems and pinch force systems to NIH staff for research studies. Behavioral During the previous year we developed two systems that studied the behavior of drosophila for anesthesia studies. One of the systems was designed to determine the hot-cold response of the drosophila under various degrees of anesthesia. This system consisted of alternating channels of hot and cold rectangular water tubes bonded together and insulated by a thin Teflon tape. The top surface was covered with a homogeneous epoxy coating to eliminate any visual cues of the thermal boundaries. The thermal grid was covered by a clear acrylic cover that gave the flies two millimeters of space to crawl around the hot-cold surface at will. The crawl space above the thermal grid was ported to permit the flow of gases through the space. The second system was designed in collaboration with CIT to observe flight initiation of at-rest drosophila using sophisticated image processing techniques from a video camera. The primary area of interest was the effect of light on the initiation of flight. LED light bars were placed above, below, and in front of a container of flies at rest on a sucrose saturated piece of filter paper. The lights were placed behind a diffusing film that spread the light evenly. In addition a set of lights was placed behind the camera shielded by a projection screen to diffuse the light. The intensity of the LED lights was adjustable, and each set of lights could be individually controlled. The entire system was contained in a custom designed light tight chamber the inside surface of which was non-reflective. Imaging We have continued to be involved in a major initiative to oversee the modernization of the system used in PET imaging to produce their radiopharmaceuticals. The current system is a working prototype that is no longer supported by the developer. The existing system (Synthia) has experienced several hardware failures that we have had to either facilitate their repair or functionally circumvent. A significant number of scientific and clinical PET protocols are dependent on the availability of radioisotopes designed to mark specific antigens. We have designed and built a complex system that allows for switching the existing hardware between the old Synthia system and the new AutoRAD system. This facilitates the comprehensive testing that must be done on the new system while still allowing the old system to be used until the new system is brought on-line. We recently designed a needle translation and ultrasonic impulse delivery system into the Synthia radiopharmaceutical Hot-Cell system, interfacing with the existing control system. Clinical Our Section also supports a number of clinical based research requests under the broad areas of surgical, therapeutic and basic research. Technology The Section on Instrumentation (SI) machine shop produces many mechanical assemblies and components to assist in the research goals of the NIH. By using the latest technology in CAD/CAM programming and embracing Rapid Prototyping techniques, SI is able to increase productivity and effectiveness while at the same time decreasing the amount of time needed to engineer and machine the components. 3D printing has opened a completely new methodology for design and development of mechanical components used in research.